Harnessing Corporate Power for Community Impact at PA Consulting with Jack McMahon

"We make sure that our people are giving back in impactful ways, aligning their skills with the needs of the communities and organisations we work with."

In today's evolving corporate landscape, community engagement is no longer just a "nice-to-have"—it's a vital component of business strategy. Leading this charge at PA Consulting is Jack McMahon, whose dual roles as Global Head of Communities and Director of the PA Foundation exemplify how companies and their employees can drive real social impact. Jack's leadership reflects a growing trend in the corporate world: companies align their core values with those of their employees to not only retain talent but also make a difference in the communities they serve.

A Personal Connection to Social Mobility

Jack's passion for social impact is deeply rooted in his personal background. “I grew up in a mining village in Yorkshire, a free school meals kid from a single-parent family,” he recalls. For Jack, social mobility isn't just a professional focus—it’s personal. “Everything about my personal life journey was around improving my situation through education and work. Having the opportunity to give back through my day job is hugely rewarding.”

This personal connection to social mobility is what initially inspired Jack to enter the world of education through the Teach First program, a charity focused on developing leadership within schools. His experience in teaching, followed by roles in international development and education consulting, paved the way for his eventual transition into impact and community engagement at PA Consulting. "It's a privilege to now be in a position to provide those same opportunities to others," Jack adds.

Leading with Two Hats: Community Engagement and the PA Foundation

Jack’s dual roles—Global Head of Communities and Director of the PA Foundation—offer him the unique ability to mobilise both company resources and employee talent to create lasting change. "So I basically spend my time between those two roles and they work together in some ways, it is quite interesting." Jack explains. The Foundation focuses on improving employability outcomes and providing grants to disadvantaged groups, while Jack's internal role mobilises employees across the organisation to engage in meaningful, structured volunteer opportunities.

One of Jack’s key responsibilities is matching the skills of PA Consulting employees with the needs of their charity partners. "We make sure that our people are giving back in impactful ways, aligning their skills with the needs of the communities and organisations we work with," he shares. This approach not only benefits the communities PA serves but also offers employees the chance to apply their talents in new and fulfilling ways.

The Business Case for Volunteering: Purpose Beyond Profit

For Jack, the business case for volunteering is clear. “Organisations can see tangible benefits from engaging their employees in social impact activities,” he explains. “Doing good should always come first but it can have secondary benefits, such as helping people connect with their company on a deeper level, beyond just making money.”

Jack believes that when companies reflect the core values of their employees, it strengthens the organisation from within. “People link this idea of the organisation that they work with, also reflecting their core values and their core purpose,” he says. This alignment drives employee satisfaction, talent retention, and skills development. “Volunteering helps our people build networks, confidence, and new ways of thinking, all while contributing to their professional development,” he adds.

The company has formalised its volunteering programs, incentivising participation by rewarding employees with utilisation credit, treating volunteer time as if it were billable client work. Jack notes, "We've seen lots of engagement amongst our people and that has massively increased as well." This approach combines financial support through the PA Foundation with the talent and passion of PA employees to make a significant impact in their communities.

Defining PA Consulting’s Impact: A Step Beyond Traditional CSR

While PA Consulting has always had a culture of giving back, the launch of the PA Foundation in 2022 marked a new chapter in its journey. "Not all organisations have a charitable foundation, and this was a clear signal of PA’s commitment to crystallising its efforts in a more targeted way."

The Foundation, with a goal of distributing £10 million over five years, focuses on supporting small charities and communities most in need. “Smaller organisations often struggle to find unrestricted funding,” Jack notes, “and we’ve worked hard to combine financial support with the passion and talent of our people to make a real difference.”

Since its inception, the PA Foundation has distributed £4.4 million to 53 charity partners across the UK, US, Nordics, and the Netherlands, impacting over 15,000 disadvantaged individuals. These efforts include providing employability support to refugees and migrants, helping them secure decent jobs in their new environments, and running the Springboard programme, which has offered 125 placements to low-income students across the UK.

A Standout Moment: Creating Impact in the Justice System

One of the initiatives Jack is most proud of is PA Consulting's work in the justice space. “A few weeks ago, we brought together five of our charity partners to discuss their contributions to rehabilitation,” Jack shares. The justice system in the UK faces immense challenges, and PA Consulting recognises the need to help, particularly through its partnership with Stand Out, a charity that promotes employability skills for people in prison.

“We recently celebrated 100 volunteers who’ve gone into prisons to deliver high-quality, meaningful support,” Jack says proudly. Organising such efforts is no small feat, but the impact is clear. “It all starts to work together. It snowballs into lots of people wanting to get involved and it just takes on a life of its own.” This work in the justice space has become one of PA’s most successful volunteering efforts, showcasing the potential of corporate engagement in even the most challenging sectors.

In addition to the justice space, PA’s partnership with We Make Change has been instrumental in engaging employees at scale. "We Make Change has enabled us to connect our people with a variety of impactful causes, giving them the opportunity to offer strategic support to organisations that align with their expertise,” Jack shares. "It’s been a highly engaging, fast-paced experience that consistently receives excellent feedback from our teams."

The Future of Business: Merging Purpose and Profit

Reflecting on broader trends in corporate responsibility, Jack believes that businesses are increasingly expected to play a role in addressing social and environmental challenges. “This is becoming embedded as part of business culture,” he notes. “You no longer need to justify the business case—merging purpose and profit is now understood and non-negotiable for large organisations.”

Jack also points to the increasing demand for transparency and accountability, particularly in the social and environmental spaces. “We talk about greenwashing in sustainability, but it happens everywhere,” he says. “There’s growing pressure on businesses to demonstrate their impact, especially when it comes to volunteering and social contributions.”

For Jack, the future is clear: companies must continue to respond to key social, environmental, and political issues, and employees will demand it. “People want to see the organisations they work for reflect their values, and they’re expecting businesses to take a stand on the issues that matter.”

A Purpose-Driven Future

As the world looks toward 2030 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, leaders like Jack McMahon are proving that businesses can—and must—play a central role in driving social change. Through his work at PA Consulting and the PA Foundation, Jack continues to demonstrate that when companies align their values with those of their employees, they can create lasting, meaningful impact in the communities they serve.

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This is part of our ChangeLeaders interview series with corporate impact leaders sharing their journeys, learnings and lessons from making impact in the corporate world. If you are a ChangeLeader we should interview, please email us at info@wemakechange.org.

Interview: James Sancto & Laura De Alba (We Make Change)
Article: Laura De Alba